January Seed Growing Time Q & A

[Jaytag]

I am getting the itch for seed starting.  Flower Lady has fantastic tips for starting and I thought I would start a thread for Q & A.

I have a big question and need some advice.  Having moved into a new house last Fall, I have a totally different environment for seed starting.  The new house has some good lighting but not in the right places.  My question is, I have a good space for lighting however, it is very cool 50 degrees in the coldest and on some really sunny days can be 68 degrees. It is right in front of a window.  Will this be a spot to grow seeds?

[inchigh-pvtI]

For 15 0r 20 bucks you can buy a seedling mat which will keep soil temperature at the proper range, as long as you don't let the soil dry out. As far as lighting goes, if your window spaces don't get enough sun, a small 23 watt cfl bulb in the 5600k light range( blue light) is perfect for seedlings. The bulbs in the 2700k range are better suited to later stages of plant growth. If you dont want the light on 24 hrs a day, cheap timers are available at kroger.

[Flower Lady]

Even cheaper than a seed heating mat are rope lights now on sale from Christmas! You use zip ties to tie them UNDER metal shelving (like metroshelves) and they heat the metal and you set your plants on top of that. I had heating mats that Brownwood Max donated to HC at one point, you need a LOT of seed mats to have a garden full of plants. Rope lights are sealed, and so they are pretty safe. Use the 'regular' rope lights not the newer LED's which dont' provide heat. That timer that inchhigh-pvti mention will come in really handy for the lights under and over!

[inchigh-pvtI]

That's a great idea!

[Flower Lady]

We even burried the rope lights, with the ends well sealed in silcone and used them as heat cables in a greenhouse where we were making a do-it-yourself misting propagation chamber at a nursery my friend once owned. It worked perfectly well and saved about $500 in total! I find rope lights themselves rather obnoxious, but for this purpose they are such a great idea!

[viennaguitar]

Is it too early to start tomato and pepper seedlings for this year?  It looks like the last frost the past few years has been in early/mid March (though the way this winter has been, who knows about 2012)...which makes me think now is when I want to start my transplants, though my math might be off. 

[Flower Lady]

Yes, it is a bit early for warm season plants. You aren't going to be planting them until end of March/ April (hopefully not hot before then!!!) so I would wait a few weeks. You will need lights to start them indoors, windows aren't going to provide enough light. Bottom heat will help peppers and eggplants germinate. You MAY want to start peppers and eggplants now if you do not have bottom heat. They can take a long time to germinate.

[viennaguitar]

Thanks! I'm a procrastinator anyway, so it likely will be another few weeks before I decide what varieties I want to grow AND get everything set up.  I'll just pore over seed catalogs for a few more days without guilt....

[Flower Lady]

Or you can skip seed catalogs and come to Oakhurst Gardens on Feb. 7th. I will be bringing all the seeds to sow for a lush, veggie packed spring garden!! $15 for members, $20 for non members. For the small fee you get soil, knowledge and TONS and tons of veggies with a crazy variety to choose from. max is 10 to a class, and you must pre-register. I would estimate that the value of the class is probably in the range of $100 worth of veggie starts (if you bought them) and you will probably grow in the several hundreds of dollars worth of produce just in spring alone!!!

[MRice]

You also can support the kids at Burgess-Peterson and order a few seedlings from them: http://www.eavbuzz.net/forum/in-the-yard/2012-burgess-peterson-seedling-sale/

[viennaguitar]

Ha - I have my order form all filled out, just waiting to take over there, whenever I remember.  Those Corno di Toro peppers sound delicious!

[citygal]

since we have only been in our house for 6 months, we are just getting started with garden prep.  right now we're focused on getting our backyard long term plan mapped out, building our raised beds and getting our hugelculture started. 

a friend of ours referred me to two websites to purchase organic seeds

http://www.southernexposure.com/vegetables-okra-c-3_36.html
AND
http://www.horizonherbs.com/product.asp?specific=2155

however, i've been hearing that their are all kinds of local seed exchanges. has anyone heard of one?  i don't have any to share yet, but i don't mind buying locally.

ALSO-
we're new to this area of the country (from S. California) and I'm unsure for what grows well and when here.  i've been trying to read up on this to get familiar but any tips you all have will help.

things i'm interested in growing:
strawberries, tomatoes (heirlooms, cherry and reg. variety), red bell peppers, green beans, snap peas, yellow squash, zucchini, corn, carrots, garlic, onions, greens (kale, collards, spinach), broccoli (can it grow here in summer?) potatoes (yukon gold and red), muscadines (and other grape varieties), sweet potatoes.... well, the list goes on.  if all goes well in the next month with our prep we'll have plenty of space.

[MRice]

I know Flower Lady and others will weigh in and they grow lots more than I do, but here's what I know.
Strawberries -- if you plant them in the spring you won't get much of a crop until next year. If you plant in the fall, you'll get about the same size crop in the spring.
Tomatoes  -- large-fruit varieties take forever to ripen for me, but I've had great luck with cherry tomatoes like Juliet and yellow pear. I got some pretty tasty brandywines last year that were worth waiting for.
Bell peppers -- I've had decent luck with smaller varieties and fantastic luck with hot peppers like jalapenos and habaneros.
Onions, greens, broccoli all do better if planted in the fall.
Potatoes -- I planted all different colored ones in early March two years ago and had a good yield by July.
Muscadines -- my vines are doing well but I haven't had my first crop yet. I've made wine from a random grape vine I bought at Lowe's five years ago, though.
Our Burgess-Peterson students will sell you some inexpensive organically grown seedlings and so will Holy Comforter Church's plant program.

[Flower Lady]

I've not heard of "all kinds of local seed exchanges". This year I only knew of the one I held a few weeks ago. So far I've not heard of any others.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes do not always produce lycopine in heat - lycopine is needed for ripening, so what MRice says is absolutely true. Last year I had to wait for some, but most were good. I grow a huge variety including Juliette, yellow pear, cherokee purple, black krim, marlglobe, rutgers, San Marsano, roma, sungold and many many more.
Bell Peppers: I love sweet peppers and there are tons of great sweet peppers that are not bells. However I really like Yolo Wonder, it produces well as do some Italian frying peppers like Corno De Toro. Key: They need really good soil that is fairly high in phosphates. Plant your peppers on the East side of your tomatoes. They'll get Am sun and PM shade and do well.
Potatoes: Plant soon

March 31 at the East Atlanta public library Mary Yetter, Brooks Garcia (Robby Astrove will be doing fruit on the Sunday...more classes are being scheduled those days, so look for it! and I are holding gardening workshops for just $10. I will be doing a vegetable gardening workshop.). Funds are to raise money for the library!!

[MRice]

March 31 at the East Atlanta public library Mary Yetter, Brooks Garcia (Robby Astrove will be doing fruit on the Sunday...more classes are being scheduled those days, so look for it! and I are holding gardening workshops for just $10. I will be doing a vegetable gardening workshop.). Funds are to raise money for the library!!

I think I will be there selling plants with a couple of students.